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The Armenian Reporter | February 6, 2010 19CommentaryLiving indiasporaA nursing home adopts Armeniaby Tom VartabedianThe author’s mother Jennie Vartabedian is pictured on right. Courtesy photo.Haverhill, Mass. – This is about a groupof residents inside a nursing home who knewlittle or nothing about Armenia until theywere exposed to it one fine afternoon.It’s not just any nursing home but one Ifrequent almost daily to visit my mom, thelast remaining genocide survivor in Haverhill.The ambassador that she remains in behalfof her nation, Ojen often talks to otherswith admiration about her country --- proud,patriotic and prolific in her own humble way.Many nod their heads in approval. Sometimes,they’ll probe deeper into her wisdom.Other times, they’ll dismiss it as gibberish.More often than not, it does my mothermore good than the others.One afternoon, the institution decided todeviate from the usual Bingo game and focusits attention on something a bit moreenlightening.“What about a program on Armenia?” I volunteered.“It would give residents a chanceto learn about a different country, see somecolorful photos, and perhaps identity withtheir own heritage.”Of course, my mother was elated. If shetaught me anything, it was the ability to remainArmenian and pass the culture on toothers. Much too often, we keep our heritagecloistered when it should be displayed,whether in schools, office buildings and institutionssuch as this.“Do you think the people here will appreciateArmenia?” she wondered. “Most of themwill complain if you take away their Bingo time.They’ll get restless. Their minds can’t handle it.”This is a 98-year-old woman speakingwho’s spent her last three years in acute care,faced with dementia, but still mindful of herheritage. She showed up with a small Tricolorin her hand.I recall once as a young AYFer visiting theArmenian Nursing Home in Jamaica Plainwith my peers and bringing cheer to the confinedone Christmas season. Here it was, 50years later, and I still recall that eventful day.In doing so, it enhanced our spirit and gaveus a sense of purpose.What it gave them was a brighter holiday.I checked with the activities director andshe voiced her approval, looking for innovativeways to entertain her residents. I arrivedthat afternoon with only a DVD I had made ofmy recent trip to Armenia last spring.“Keep it personal and short,” I remindedmyself.Fifty residents were wheeled into theroom. Of the lot, only my mother and twoothers were Armenian by birth. For them,this would be an added treat. None of themhad ever been to Armenia, much as they hadyearned. In some ways, the country was comingto them.The activities director went all out. A tableladen with refreshment was an added inducement.Local newspapers were informed.Officials were invited. Every preparation wasmet accordingly.I began my history with a brief introduction,explaining how the country dates back 3,000years before the birth of Christ, and how wewere the first nation in history to adopt Christianityas a state religion back in 301AD.“Armenia is the birthplace of civilization,” I wenton to say, explaining how Noah had landed his arkon Mount Ararat as told in the Book of Genesis.I told them the fig, cherry and apricot originatedin Armenia and that Old Ironsides inBoston was salvaged by an Armenian becausehe didn’t want the vessel to be turned into aTurkish warship.“But our greatest contribution is the factwe were able to survive and prosper after agenocide in 1915 that took 1.5 million livesat the hands of the Ottoman Turkish Empireand left another million scattered,” Iinformed them. “Today, we pride ourselveson being industrious, God-abiding citizens,looking to advance a country that has beenindependent just 18 years.”Much to my surprise, the residents appearedengrossed by the talk. Hands flewArmenian groups join appeals for Haiti reliefinto the air. One said how he worked for anArmenian in the shoe factories as an Italianimmigrant. Another mentioned the Armenianfood her neighbor used to prepare.And so it went. If there were 50 people inthat room, each of them could connect to anArmenian in some manner. A Greek womanlived through a genocide in her own countryand told how Armenians helped shape thatland. A Polish woman presented her own accountof Armenians growing up in her neighborhoodas children.“’They were always a people to be admired,”she brought out.Others who were customarily immobile ormindless took the opportunity to form anopinion. They shared thoughts of their ownethnicity. As one woman put it, “America isthe land of immigrants. They shaped thiscountry of ours with a lot of sweat and tears.”Someone else reflected upon the time shetraveled throughout Turkey with her husbandand was saddened by the Armenianchurches she had found in ruins.On came the video as the images told theirown story. The background music left peopletapping their feet and swaying their bodyin cadence. An Armenian man would havejumped from his wheelchair and danced,much like he did in his youthful prime.My mother shed a tear of joy. For one briefinterlude, this became that Armenian nursinghome I had frequented as a teenager backin the 1960s. Many were able to strike an accordwith their very own lineage.In the long run I suppose, we all share thisvision of equality, no matter where our rootsmay lie. Without a country or a civilization,we remain a lonely star in the galaxy.The following day, I saw my mother talkingto another resident who was usually reticent.As I listened closely, I heard the word “Armenian”mentioned. It may not have been apublic rally, a demonstration in the streets ofBoston or NYC, but every bit as relevant.Life in this nursing home had suddenlytaken a turn for the better.fby Emil SanamyanWASHINGTON - The catastrophic earthquakethat struck Haiti in the late afternoonof January 12 left millions in need of emergencyaid, with rescue and aid groups fromaround the globe, including several groupsfrom the Armenian diaspora pitching in.On January 14, the Armenian NationalCommittee of American (ANCA) issued anappeal to its supporters for donations to bemade to the American Red Cross.On the same day the Western Diocese ofthe Armenian Church in Burbank, Calif., issueda statement similarly calling for donationto the Red Cross, while the Eastern Dioceseasked its parishes for donations to bemade to its Fund for Armenian Relief (FAR),including with an option to donate online.In its statement the Eastern Diocese recalledthe 1988 Armenia earthquake and “the world’sbeautiful outpouring of goodwill towards ourcountry and its people,” encouraging a similareffort to alleviate the tragedy in Haiti.The Armenian Relief Society of WesternU.S.A. also set up a “Haiti Relief Fund” withan option to donate online.“The ARS feels the suffering of the Haitianpeople, especially since we experienced similardevastation after the 1988 earthquake inArmenia,” Sossie Poladian, chairperson ofthe ARS Regional Executive said in a statementon January 15.And on January 18, the Armenian GeneralBenevolent Union (AGBU) announced a donationof $50,000 and an appeal to its supportersto donate to FAR.In a telegram, Armenia’s president offeredcondolences and extended an offer of assistanceto his Haitian counterpart, Arminforeported on January 15.On January 14 an Armenian rescue serviceofficial said a 52-member rescue group wasready to be dispatched to Haiti, but the groupdid not deploy citing logistical constraints. fconnect: http://www.farusa.org/http://www.arswestusa.org/Destruction in Haiti. Photo: Photolure.